Lena Headey appears in a scene from "Game of Thrones," something she won't be doing for much longer. (HBO via AP)

(Newser)
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Despite the outcry from fans and, presumably, HBO executives' wallets, Game of Thrones creators Dan Weiss and David Benioff have long said the fantasy series would end after eight seasons. HBO finally made that official during Saturday's Television Critics Association press tour in Los Angeles. “Believe me...if I could get them to do more, I would take 10 more seasons," HBO executive Casey Bloys tells Entertainment Weekly. "But we take their lead on what they think they can do the best version of the show.” That means season eight is officially the end of Game of Thrones.

Maybe. The Independent reports Bloys said Saturday that they are discussing a Game of Thrones spin-off series, though nothing concrete at the moment. Also not concrete: the number of episodes in season eight. Weiss and Benioff have said anywhere between six and eight—fewer than the typical 10—but Bloys says that hasn't been worked out yet. Season seven has already been confirmed to have only seven episodes.